The present invention relates to a device for cleaning utility items, such as electrical components, medical and scientific equipment and in particular, but not exclusively contact lenses.
Many utility items, especially from the medical field, require thorough cleaning and sometimes sterilisation. In particular it is often preferable that microbial contamination from all sources is minimized. In particular, microbial contamination is a significant problem with contact lenses.
Infections due to microbial keratitis, acanthamoeba or ulcerative keratitis are recurring problems associated with contact lens wear. The problems may arise for example when a contact lens is not cleansed sufficiently by the lens wearer, and the bacterial load of the lens increases such that a biofilm forms on the lens. In such cases not all lens cleaning solutions may be strong enough to kill residual bacteria. Similarly the contact lens may harbour infectious organisms such as acanthamoeba, which can also contaminate the lens case in addition to the lens resulting in time in a devastating keratitis.
A problem facing the lens wearer is that known lens care systems do not provide for ease of use. Typically lens wearers are required to clean their lenses for 10-30 seconds with their fingers using a cleaning solution before rinsing the lens and disinfecting the lens, which may take up to six hours. Often the lens has to be rinsed again prior to insertion. It is well known that many lens wearers omit one or more of these steps resulting in lens wear complications, frequently leading to infection. More convenient lens solutions have been proposed but as with the other known solutions, if the instruction are not followed carefully, the rate of lens wear complication may increase.
Another well known problem is that sometimes during lens wear, the eye may feel dry or the lens uncomfortable. Also occasionally lenses fall out. In such cases, the lens should be cleaned before re-insertion.
Various devices have been proposed which assist with either cleaning or sterilising, but no devices have been marketed which are convenient to use and remove the user from responsibility for cleaning and sterilising.
One such apparatus is disclosed in EP 0394254, which discloses apparatus comprising an agitator with a reciprocating motion, which apparatus is adapted to clean the lens in a short time with minimal effort.
The problem underlying the invention is therefore to provide a device which enables contact lens wearers to clean and disinfect their lenses in a single process with little or no effort or maintenance on their part.
According to the invention the problem is solved by a device made as described herein.
The device of the invention has the advantage over the known devices that it permits a very thorough and efficient cleaning of lens without the risk of contamination. Moreover the device is also very compact and portable in comparison with other known devices due to the reduction in the number of components required to obtain a satisfactory cleaning operation, in particular by using a 2/2 or 3/2 valve in place of the known multivalve arrangements.
Preferably, the valve is provided with control means so that each stage of the procedure may be carried out without intervention from the wearer. This advantageously requires only a single actuation by the user and therefore is very convenient to use.